UPCOMING EVENTS

In the market for connected deadbolts? You’re in luck — particularly if you’re partial to Yale. The Berlin, Connecticut-based company today announced the launch of new Assure Locks that, thanks to August’s eponymous Connected by August technology, can be controlled and monitored from anywhere through a mobile app.

The August Lock Connected by August line includes two models: the $299 Assure Lock SL, which boasts an edge-to-edge touchscreen keypad, and the $279 Assure Lock Touchscreen, which has a keypad, as well as traditional key access. Both are available for purchase on Yale’s website today and will hit Amazon, Lowes, and Best Buy in mid-October.

Notably, they’re the first Yale Keypad Smart Locks to tap August’s smart home platform since Swedish parent company Assa Abloy acquired August in December 2017.

Key features include Auto Lock, which intelligently locks and unlocks the deadbolt in response to people’s comings and goings, and the ability to lock doors remotely and share access to them via the August app for Android and iOS devices. They’re compatible with voice assistants, including Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and the Google Assistant, plus hosting platforms such as Airbnb and HomeAway and home security systems like SimpliSafe.

“When August became part of the Assa Abloy family, it made perfect sense for the two companies to combine one another’s expertise to build new and exciting products for our customers,” said Jason Williams, president of Yale’s residential group. “We’ve brought together our respective teams of engineers and designers to create products that seamlessly integrate our most trusted hardware with our smartest software.”

As a result of the newfound brand synergy, current Yale Assure Lock owners will be able to upgrade their locks with the $129 Connected by August Kit, which includes everything needed to get their locks online: a Connected by August Module, an August Connect Wi-Fi Bridge, and August’s DoorSense, a door close sensor.

“Yale and August share a deep commitment to making our customers’ doors smarter and more secure,” said August CEO and cofounder Jason Johnson. “This new Yale Connected by August lineup is simply the beginning of what we will accomplish together when it comes to innovating the lock industry.”

August’s Access platform, which launched in 2015, expanded to include Yale and Emtek locks in January. At the Consumer Electronic Show, Assa Abloy announced support for same-day delivery service Deliv, with the goal of pairing Deliv’s services for brands like Nike and Williams & Sonoma with Assa Abloy’s network of smart locks. Participating retailers give delivery people a one-time pin code they use to place the package inside your home if you’re out.

More recently, in August the Nest x Yale lock — a door lock designed by Google subsidiary Nest — gained compatibility with the Google Assistant. Voice commands enable owners to remotely check the status of the lock and secure their doors from any location.